Jacob Graham

My family run a civil construction company in the north island called Graham contractors, I worked every holiday, every break and even some weekends during my highschool and uni years. During this time I learnt many skills including, labouring (plate compacting, assisting diggers and trucks and general labour around site), machine operating (diggers up to 14 ton, rollers and front end loaders), drainlaying (laying 50mm water ducts to 900mm concrete culverts, GPS rover work (getting trench heights and taking topos (TOPCON)). But the most important skill I learnt was to work hard, as having my brother as the head of the company you’d think work would be easy, wrong, my family has always said you work for your keep, starting at the bottom and knowing my place has taught me to treat everyone with respect no matter their position and work towards having a happy enjoyable work space. The big projects I have worked on consist of the hamilton expressway, and the new Manawatu gorge currently being built (Te ahua turanga). My reason for leaving my family is because I want to work outside of the north island and naturally as brothers do they compete which is why I'd like to branch out and not stay under his wing my whole life.